Hundreds turn out for Jacob’s Soup Supper
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There was standing room only at Jacob's Soup Supper as community members bid for pies and an array of items donated to help the Eckerman family.
With at least three major community events happening last Friday night, some 300 people showed up at Jacob Eckerman’s Soup Supper hosted at the College Heights Baptist Church on K-Beach Rd. 12-year-old Jacob Eckerman was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver a few months ago and recently was medivaced to Seattle Children’s Hospital where he is awaiting a liver transplant. While in Seattle last week Jacob was also confirmed to have Wilson’s disease, a rare condition that causes the body to retain copper, according to Kris Couveau R.N. and Jacob’s grandmother, “This is a big help and has moved Jacob higher on the priority list for a donor,” said Couveau.
Kris Couveau, Jacob's grandmother, keeps the soup coming as hundreds turn out to support Eckerman family.
Jacob’s Soup Supper and pie auction raised some $18,000 thanks to the help of a dozen volunteers and more than 20 contributors of soups, pies, and auction items. Larry VanRay was the auctioneer for the fund raiser. “We were suppose to vote for the best soup, but I think we got so caught up in all the things that were happening during the auction that we forgot, but my favorite was the Hungarian mushroom soup, it was superb,” said Couveau as she and volunteers continued to clean up in the kitchen. The funds will help to offset the family’s expenses while they wait with Jacob in Seattle for a transplant. “The family originally planned to be here for this event, but then they had to make the unexpected flight to Children’s hospital in Seattle. They won’t be coming home very soon. We’ve been told it could take between two weeks and two months for a liver to be available, and without being able to have any income during that time of course we hope it’ll be real soon,” said Couveau. “The success of the supper was far greater than anything we had anticipated. When my daughter Michelle and her husband Keith and Jacob heard of the tremendous out pouring of support from this community, they were truly moved and wished to express their most heart felt appreciation to all that contributed and volunteered on their behalf during this time of trouble,” said Couveau. Donations may continue to be made on behalf of the Eckerman family in the name of Jacob’s aunt April Yurcina at the Alaska U.S.A. Credit Union in Soldotna.